What You Should Know about Disability and Debt
There Are Protections...When it comes to debt collection, disability income enjoys special status.
Welcome to the KnowVA Knowledge Base
Locate information more quickly and efficiently
How to ensure seamless care while traveling
How Divorce, Alimony, and Child Support
Affect Veterans' VA Benefits
VA benefits can be garnished only for spousal
or child support, and only under certain conditions.
How to file a VA disability claim
Find out how to file a claim for disability compensation
or increased disability compensation.
Your 2020 Guide to Social Security Benefits
Whether you’re claiming Social Security in 2020, have been collecting benefits for years, or are still decades away, here’s what you need to know about this critically important retirement program.
Why Getting a Diagnosis Matters
A diagnosis does so much more than get noted in your medical history. It also can help you apply for programs like Social Security Disability and medical marijuana cards. And maybe even more importantly, it can help you explain yourself to friends, colleagues and family.
I did that for years & it's
the best thing ever. Get
into the belly of the beast.
Do You Need
Medical Care
RIGHT NOW?
You are already authorized
to use an urgent
care clinic!
The VAWatchdog
doesn't ask for donations, we don't have fees, we don't ask you to register...you can't find a way to give us your money. We're supported by advertising. When you shop via the VAWatchdog,
we'll get a small piece of that.
You get top quality at a good price and you support our mission.
Thank you!!!
Create or update your will fast / 100% free
Make your will with FreeWill today
Healthcare directives,
proxies, living wills and durable financial power of attorney.
All are free to use.
Is your disability pay fair game in a divorce?
(Yeah, it is...)
Schedule for Rating Disabilities
Owe VA Money???
To Loneliness And Isolation For Seniors
Did you know that hearing loss and tinnitus are the
most commonly rated veterans disabilities? Did you
know that hearing loss and tinnitus can cause
other secondary conditions, particularly mental
health problems like depression and loneliness?
Chronic Pain Is an Impossible Problem
A “safe” alternative to opioid painkillers
turns out to be not so safe.
Jim Strickland is a Vietnam era Army veteran and nationally recognized expert on VA disability benefits
and a member of the Stateside Legal Website Advisory Board. Jim's Mailbag, is a regular column where veterans,
servicemembers, and family members can ask Jim their questions about VA and Social Security disability benefits.
You can browse all of these Q&As here, and search the Jim's Mailbag archives for helpful answers.
Military Sisterhood Initiative to go live February 18
A social platform to build peer
support community for women Veterans
VAWatchdog Dot Org
Just who do you think
you are?
Stats about veterans.
Percent of U.S. adult population who are veterans in 2017, by state
Employment Data for Veterans With Disabilities
Employment Situation of Veterans Summary
Immigrant Veterans in the United States
Demographics of the U.S. Military
Veterans and Military Documents
Military Programs and Benefits
Facts on Veterans and Entrepreneurship
American War and Military Operations
Casualties: Lists and Statistics
Tinnitus and hearing loss among
Veteran Social Security Beneficiaries
Veteran-Owned Businesses and Their Owners
48 Interesting U.S. Military Facts
The American Veteran Experience and the Post-9/11 Generation
National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics - Quick Facts
Global Firepower - 2019 World Military Strength Rankings
Medical Malpractice - Veterans 1151 Claims
VA Malpractice Attorneys Helping Veterans Harmed By The VA
Veterans Healthcare Rights - Federal Tort Claims -
VA Medical Malpractice Claims, Misdiagnosis, Hospital Negligence, Medical Errors
For a review of your VA malpractice case contact our lawyers today. Our firm serves throughout the nation, and is one of the few firms to have specialized experience in VA malpractice cases.
Call Now! (949) 640-8222
PAPER Evidence Records
and Claims All Go Here
V A Claims Intake Center
PO BOX 4444
JANESVILLE, WI
53547- 4444
Toll Free Fax:
844-531-7818
Key findings about America’s military veterans
The experiences of post-9/11 veterans differ from
those who served in previous eras. Post-9/11
veterans more likely to have been deployed,
seen combat, experienced emotional trauma
Should I file a claim?
Potential VA claims?
What am I missing in the VA claims process?
Best way to check on a supplemental claim online?
Confused on what to do with claim.
Dependent status with education benefits.
Suing the VA for negligence and malpractice.
You've Arrived at the VAWatchdog Dot Org!
Welcome Home
We've been keeping veterans informed of news and events important to them since 2005.
You'll find all you need to file your claim and referrals to professionals who can help you when things don't go well.
What you won't find here is unending chat or opinions from strangers who like to think of themselves as experts.
Our goal is to ensure that you are awarded the benefits you earned with your service to our country.
We're here to help you take charge of your benefits, and that is all.
Extra schedular ratings under
How can I get an extra schedular rating?
To receive an extra schedular rating the veteran
must first show that the veteran’s
conditions result in a disability picture
that is not covered by the schedule of ratings.
C&P Service Clinician’s Guide
Scheduled For A C & P??? Filing A Claim?
This is a must read for you!!!
I've been posting this again and again over the years
and it's still one of the best ways I know to win
your case. Published in 2002 the principles and much of
the verbiage still applies and is in daily use at the VA.
VA Urgent Care Pharmacy Locations
Find VA-approved urgent care/retail location
pharmacies near a specific
address or ZIP code, or search by VA Facility.
How To Increase An Existing Rating %
Gather your evidence and records to support the increase.
If there are civilian medical records, you have to gather those for yourself.
Do not rely on VA to obtain your civilian records.
Determine exactly what your current ratings are before you proceed.
Dig out those original award letters so that you know exactly what sort of benefits and ratings you
have. Don't just guess at it, get the facts. You may need to check your records at the eBenefits site.
Look at the ratings table for your existing benefit.
The Schedule For Rating Disabilities is your guide to what you may be eligible for. You may
learn that your current rating is already at the maximum or that you're current
rating is seriously deficient. You have to research it to know.
GLOVERLUCK
Veterans Law At Your Service
PTSD and other mental impairments
Military Sexual Trauma
Traumatic Brain Injury
Agent Orange exposure
Camp Lejeune water contamination
Gulf War Syndrome
Asbestos or Radiation exposure
Federal Tort Claims/Title 38 U.S.C. 1151
Also known as FTCA and Section 1151 Claims
Nationwide Representation
844 244 VETS (8387)
Do It Yourself
You Do NOT Need A Representative
We are a DIY site!
If you have an existing rating and you believe that the rated condition is worse
than it was when it was rated or if you believe that your rating is just too low, you
must formally file a claim to increase the rating.
Talking with your doctor or other veterans won't get the process started.
You have to submit the forms. No form, no benefit!
Thomas J. Seiter, Jr., M.D.
Independent Medical Opinions
Disability Benefit Questionnaires (DBQ's)
Service & Civilian Medical Record Reviews
Nexus Letters
A VETERAN FOR VETERANS
Proven Results • Direct Communication • No Fees Unless You Win
Nationwide Representation
Free Phone Consultations - (844) 838-7529
You must consider an IME or an IMO
An Independent Medical Examination or an Independent Medical Opinion
will often make the difference when the details of your claim aren't clear.
The physician who conducts such an exam is a neutral
observer and an expert in disability medicine.
Be as precise as you can to describe just what it is that you want.
Provide supporting evidence.
Congratulations! You're done.
Proceed With Caution!!!
Any time we ask VA to open our file to make any adjustment, we open ourselves up to a
complete review of all ratings. Many veterans get an unpleasant surprise when they discover
that their request for an increase leads to a proposal to decrease a rating. You have an absolute
right to be rated appropriately for each disabling condition you may have incurred during your
honorable military service. If you feel that your rating is not correct for your condition, by all
means seek an increase. Before you do...be sure that you can't lose. Check your current
condition's symptoms against the standards you find in The Schedule For Rating Disabilities.
Match your physical or mental health status to the ones you find there.
If you are confident that you can prove your entitlement to a higher rating, go for it.
If you aren't sure, sometimes sleeping dogs are best left to just lie there.
How Do You Apply For Social Security Disability Benefits?
Information on social security disability benefits
The NPRC
Military Records DD 214
Google Tracks You
and we don't.
DuckDuckGo apps block
Google's hidden trackers.
The world needs an alternative
Robert Wilkie <robert.wilkie@va.gov> 855-948-2311
One More Reason You Need An Independent Medical Opinion
VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION
Accuracy of Claims Decisions Involving Conditions of the Spine
'How To Lie With Statistics'
Lodging & Camping in southern Illinois with access to the Shawnee National
We offer lodging, camping,
stabling, corral, pasture,
access to a hunting lease and
discounts for America's
military veterans!
An IMO by an expert often makes the difference!
How To File a VA Disability Appeal
You have the right to appeal any benefits decision made by the Veterans Benefits Administration. The VA appeals process is set in law and is different from other judicial appeals processes. Find out how to file an appeal.
Has VA medical care caused you an injury or other harm?
You can sue the VA for medical malpractice but it's a complex process and you'll want lawyers who have
done this successfully in the past. There are strict time limits and draconian regulations to follow.
Get some advice today...call now!
Download VA benefit letters
To receive some benefits, Veterans need a letter
proving their status.
For Better Brain Health, Preserve Your Hearing
Hearing loss is the largest modifiable risk factor for developing dementia, exceeding that of smoking, high blood pressure, lack of exercise and social isolation.
Hello Jim...
Can you help me with....
Family Medical Leave Act problems after husband's deployment
Vet being harassed at work
VA doctor malpractice
Child support arrears create hardship
68 year old veteran with cancer
When did the Vietnam era start
Radiation treatment for prostate cancer and now C& P exam
Diabetes claim secondary to OSA
Revisiting child support order
Gulf War veteran behavior found to be willful misconduct
All these and many more answers to your questions can be found at
Medical Marijuana Card
Tell the doctor you saw it on VAWatchdog
and ask about veterans discounts!
We get $2,470 a month from Social Security
and want a warm, friendly city near the ocean.
VA launches online patient portal for veterans
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
announced the launch of an online patient portal
this month that will provide service veterans
with digital access to their patient statements.
Misuse of Certain Nonopioid Analgesics on the Rise
Gabapentin, Baclofen May Be Seen
as Opioid Alternatives
Urgent Care Centers
One of the most important benefits you have today is
the authorization to use an urgent care center
near to you. But first, you have to
to take with you. Don't wait until you need this
benefit to prepare for it. Read this now,
print your papers and be prepared!
Nexus and IMO Letters
Social Security Scammers Are Trying a New Trick
These criminals have added fake emailed documents to their repertoires -- often using the official SSA letterhead.
VA Releases Survivors Quick Start Guide
Reference guide to help during final
arrangements planning